Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. 36 They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Capernaum often served as a home base for Jesus’ Galilean activities (Mt. 4:13; Mk. 2:1). It was a thriving town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee with a mixed population, including Gentiles. The town had an important fishing industry, and scriptural evidence indicates that the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James, and John, lived in Capernaum (Mt. 4:18-22; 8:14; Mk. 1:19-20; 29-31).
As was Jewish custom, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom and authority with which he spoke astonished the people. There was a demon-possessed man in the synagogue, indicating that evil is pervasive and unclean spirits can be found even in holy places. The demon recognized Jesus as “the Holy One of God,” publicly acknowledging Jesus’ unique role and divine mission, and that he had the right and authority to destroy evil spirits. This aligned with a common belief at that time that the presence and actions of the Messiah would signify the imminent defeat and destruction of demonic forces.
In the synagogue, on the Sabbath, in the presence of the people, Jesus commanded the demon to “be quiet” and come out of the man; it left without harming him. The onlookers were amazed at the authority and power with which Jesus commanded the demon. They discussed the nature of Jesus’ authority and power, recognizing that his word had the power to command unclean spirits. Their reaction indicates the recognition of Jesus' divine authority. Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus speaks and acts with authority that comes from his unique relationship with God the Father.
Almighty God, we humbly implore you to help us recognize half-truths and errors that lead to confusion about your healing word so that we may not be deceived and led astray. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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